It could be said that if you want to bring civilization to its knees, all you have to do is cause a complete failure of all the indoor plumbing. It wouldn’t take long before everything would grind to a halt when the toilet won’t flush.

We don’t often think about plumbing, but when it fails, it is all we can think about and we are willing to pay any amount to get it working again. There are many things that can go wrong with the plumbing, but the important thing is to not worry too much, because many problems can be easily fixed as well. That being said, here are the top five plumbing nightmares that could happen to anyone.

1) Blockages

It is a problem we probably all experience, and often all it takes is a plunger to clear out the line and get things moving again. That doesn’t always work though, and sometimes the blockage can be much, much worse. Toilets, because we essentially pee calcium, can develop large calcium deposits in the line. If it gets bad enough, they won’t flush and everything will come backing up into the house. You will need to get the lines properly cleaned as a result.

Speaking of blockages, having a tree root grow into your line is not a costly problem, often only pricing in at $200 to $300, but it can be an annoying problem until it is fixed.

2) Sewer Backflow

Most houses these days have a valve in the sewer line that lets water and sewage from the home flow out, but won’t allow anything to come back into the house from the sewer. It is a one-way backflow valve and it can save you a lot of money if the sewer backs up during a storm. If you don’t have one, or your valve is broken, you may end up with sewage flowing up through your drains during a storm. That is an extremely costly problem, and one that will require you to live somewhere else for upwards of a month while everything is cleaned.

3) Burst Pipes

If you live in a cold climate, you may get a bit stressed out when the temperature dips well below freezing. When that happens, there is the possibility that the water will freeze in your pipes, even in your basement, and then burst because of the increased volume that ice takes up. Then things thaw, and water begins pouring into your basement. That is a horrible situation to be in, and it can be very costly to fix the problem. There are things you can do to mitigate the problem like running taps, but it can strike anyone, anywhere.

4) Leaking Pipes

Speaking of pipes, having leaking pipes in your basement may not seem like a major problem but if you don’t go in your basement often, you could end up going several days without realizing your basement is filling with water thanks to a slow drip.

5) Collapsed Line

If your sewer pipe is old enough, there is the possibility it can deteriorate and collapse. Not only does that create a horrible blockage in your line, it will also result in an incredibly costly repair as the line must be dug up and repaired.